April is now on: Montreal Month of the fibre and Textile arts

Lise Létourneau fromQuébec, "Herbes granit Montmagny", Impression sur soie,130 x 72.5 CM, 2006, on display in the exhibition, La rencontre: Y Cyfarfod / The meeting: Nitu Natshiskuataw, at Musée du costume et du textile du Québec, in St Lambert, April 10 – June 7

The gathering crowd at the MCCT Wednesday April 15 2009 marking the opening of Art Textiles in Canada and launch of the book Art Textiles of the World: Canada from Telos Art Publishing

With the participation of galleries, academic and training institutions that are presenting exhibitions, lectures, workshops, screenings in conjunction with other public events along with the publication of a special textile/fibre arts focused issue of Vie des Arts /Spring 2009 and launch of the Telos Art Publishers latest book in their on going series Art Textiles of the World: Canada, the Fibre and Textile Arts and Craft community of Quebec are celebrating themselves and inviting us in.

Bringing together the work of well over 75 Canadian fibre and textile craftspeople and artists with a smattering of international ones, April in Montreal is ripe with possibilities. This conglomeration of events marks the beginning of what wants to be a biannual event. Many of these artists are unfortunately not known nationally but have exhibiting careers crossing international borders. I had too many conversations that suggested that the French/ English divide was responsible for keeping Québécois artist off the radar of the rest of the country and I don’t accept this “traditional” excuse there are many variables involved. As textile and fibre work has gained ground in the fine arts and fine crafts worlds the subdivisions of approach still cause a friction that an event such as this can only lessen.

Ingrid Bachmann: Anxious States, 2008, Solenoids metal, wood, shoes, circuits, electronics and sensors.

In an 2008 essay ‘Fibres in Contemporary Art” published in DIAGONALE 01*, Ingrid Bachmann states “ Fibres are used as a medium in contemporary art- embroidery, crocheting, weaving, screen printing, felting- while speaking to a range of issues including gender, hand labour in the global economy, ritual and reification, and as carries of social and cultural narratives. Fibre has always had a larger domain than the art world; it includes the gallery, the museum, the street, the carnival, the parade, the protest, the home, the factory.” Further on she states “Many artist and craftspeople working with the medium openly acknowledge their affiliations to fibre’s histories, processes and materials but an even larger number of contemporary artists working with the medium do not identify or acknowledge any allegiance to fibres or textiles.”

Sandra Brownlee, Improvisational Weaving, Summer 2008, mercerized cotton thread

The group show Art Textiles in Canada on at the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles along with the new book Art Textiles of the World: Canada brings together a group of artists from the “Baby Boom” generation. They have come of age during a time period in which attitudes about woman artist, crafts, Textile work, the politics of art and culture went through a ground swell of rapid change that is still ricocheting. This is evidenced by the variety of approaches and differences in pieces using the same material and same basic technique that have totally separate out come. The six pieces that are woven or referencing weaving, Joanna Staniszkis’ “It Rained Cocoons”, are an example of these differences. [more about this exhibition later]

Marcel Marois with Scene no2, Tapestry, 2001-02, 36.75 x 37.5 in.; 93.5 x 94.5 cm
Canadian born, now based in Edinburgh Scotland, Joanne Soroka with her work, GoldenSections, tapestry 2007, wool, cotton, flax, synthetic thread and wire 155 x155 cm Website: http://www.joannesoroka.co.uk/index.html

Joanna Staniszkis, It Rained Cocoons, 2007, silk cocoons, wire heddle http://www.joannastaniszkis.com/

Louise Lemieux Bérubé, The Envoiée, 2009 Tencel, linen, wool, stainless steel and copper

This piece is part of an series of pieces based dance works that Louise Lemieux Bérubé has been creating over the last 10 years. with each piec she has identifed the company, and all the creators. This work is based on Images of: Company: Montréal Danse, Artistic Director: Kathy Casey, Choreography: Sur les glaces du Labrador, Choreographer: Sarah Chase, Dancers: Maryse Carrier, Frédéric Marier, Manon Levac, Benoît Leduc, Dominic Caron, Rachel Harris et Annik Hammel
you can watch an excerpt from this piece Sur les glaces du Labrador on Youtube

Barbara Layne, Blue Code. 2008

Barbara Layne is the Director of Studio subTela at the Hexagram Institute at Concordia. Blue Code consists of two interactive panels: a handwoven display of 384 LEDs (pictured here) and a second woven panel with 8 pairs of conductive squares. When two of the squares are connected, the pattern scrolling through the display is changed. The piece can be reconfigured in 256 ways, each triggering one of the different weave structures that have been programmed into the memory of the microcontroller.

Matthew Koumis from Telos Art Publishing, with Barb Hunt fiddling with her camera looking colourful in her Anna Myco dress [www.mycoanna.com] while holding a copy of Art Textiles of the World: Canada in which she is featured inside the jacquard classroom at the MCCT

Dorothy Caldwell (artist) signing Allan Elder's (essayist) copy of the book

Events happening as part of Fibre and Textile Month in Montreal

Bogolan: avec la terre, Printed Textiles of Toumani Kouyaté

Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec, 615 avenue Sainte-Croix, Montreal

11 March to 3 May

The African artist Toumani Kouyaté will expose wonderful fabrics dyed with a traditional African technique, the Bogolan (aka Mudd Cloth). This exhibition will be one of the stops of the exhibition circuit associated with Vues d’Afrique festival. Moreover, the Centre d’Impression et de Design Textile de Montréal and the Cirque du Soleil, partners of the project, will organize Bogolan workshop for beginners.

HYPERPROTECTION: Anne-Marie Ouellet

Diagonal Centre and fibre arts du Québec, 5455, de Gaspé, Suite 203, Montreal

March 28 May 2
This project questions the obsession which is to always be "ready for anything" before a potential threat and the impression given by the media that we live in a
world more dangerous.

April 10 2009

La rencontre Y Cyfarfod / The meeting Nitu Natshiskuataw

Musée du costume et du textile du Québec, 349 Riverside, St Lambert

April 10 – June 7

Four languages, four cultural sensitivities, have come together for this “meeting “ from Quebec, Canada and Wales. DIAGONAL combine in an exhibition 36 artists working with fibre. This project was born following a pairing of artists with Wales in 2006. The Welsh people are close to ours, similar cultural background, and similar historical situations. We are people of strength and have both the little "je ne sais quoi" of irreducible. Intrigued by these overlaps, we are questioning. Is it our location? Is it our proximity to the Anglo-Saxon? Is it the distant influence of the druids for one and knowing the culture for another? In order to find answers to these questions, we decided to invite artists from all elements of a solution to work on this meeting. [This exhibition was previously mounted at Maison Hamel-Bruneau, Québec City in 2008]

Claire Cawte, fromPays de Galle, Solitude, Lin, laine merino, soie, fils,30 X 53 CM, 2008,

Claire Ostiguy, from Québec, "Les voiles de l’âme," Tissu, papier fait main, épingles et acrylique12 x 12 CM, 2006

Wednesday, April 15

Art textiles in Canada and launch of the book Art Textiles of the World: Canada, Telos Art Publishing Features the works of 20 artists in the view of the scene
Canadian textile art.

Montreal Center for Contemporary Textiles in Montreal, the exhibition
continues until May 22

Vie des Arts, hits the news stands
Vie des Arts presents a Special Issue on the Art of textile fibre in the number
Spring 2009 www.viedesarts.com

Artist talks at Diagonal

Bringing together both students and professional artist these talks

Concordia student Alanna Lynch, Ugly White Fetishist, 2008, mix media. Part of You’re Too Close: Body Politics, Spatial Relations, March/2009 Art Mûr, 5826 St. Hubert

Friday 17 April 5pm: Fibre and Material Conference
Diane Gonthier, Lise Létourneau, Nathalie Levasseur, Alanna Lynch

The Hive Dress (La robe-ruche) Héloïse Audy and Julie Faubert installation view from RENDER @ University of Waterloo, January 2007

Thursday April 23, 5pm: Community and collaboration
Héloïse Audy, Claudia Bernal, Julie Faubert, Margaret Ulvic Facilitator: Devora Neumark

HYPERPROTECTION; Anne-Marie Ouellet, Diagonal Center and fibre arts du Québec, March 28 - May 2, 2009

Friday May 1st, 5 pm: Clothing - Habitat
Anne-Marie Ouellet, Valérie Lamontagne, Facilitator: Katja Philipp

Textile Printing Demonstrations:

Open Days at Le Centre Design & Impression Textile, 4710 Saint-Ambroise, studio 326, Montreal, 514-939-2150 [near Metro Place St. Henri]

Thursday, Friday and Saturday 23, 24 and 25 April visit the workshops, demonstrations and textile printing

http://www.designtextile.qc.ca/html/galerie.htm

The Gallery T is an exhibition space adjacent to the Center Design & Impression Textile.

Galerie T
Complexe du Canal Lachine
4710, rue St-Ambroise
Montréal (Québec)
H4C 2C7
(514) 939-2150

The visits are free on Thursday afternoon from 1:00 to 5:00. To spend a day other than Saturday, please make an appointment by phone

Thursday, April 30
Announcement of winners of the Diagonale Award for Arts and fibre 2009
Awarded to Students five universities who have shown their creative work in
using techniques and / or processes under arts of the fibre.
UQAM, Concordia, Laval, UQAC (Chicoutimi), UQO (Ottawa)
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The next major "fibre" event in Québec will be the International Biennial of Lin de Portneuf, 24 June to 27 September 2009. This year More than 42 artists will present their work inspired by the theme of flax in the beautiful region of Portneuf www.biennaledulin.ca

Bob Verschueren: Instaltion of a sprial of Flax stems in Saint-Joseph Church, in the Vieux Presbytère (Old Presbytery) in Deschambault-Grondines. International Biennial of lin de Portneuf 2007

The catalogue for International Biennial of lin de Portneuf 2007 can be ordered through their website.

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These are the Schools, Galleries and Institutions participating in this month long festival, some of which have been featured in fibreQUARTERLY Volume 3 Issue 3 “Quebec Seen” Fall 2007

Center Design and Impressions Textile
4710 Saint-Ambroise, studio 326, Montreal, 514-939-2150
Nearest Metro Station: Place St. Henri website: www.designtextile.qc.ca

Since 1985, CENTER DESIGN & PRINTING TEXTILE unique to Quebec has been dedicated to the development of a place of expertise in textile design for printing.
Transmitting knowledge and skills through a varied training programme, doing applied research, and providing support for textile design professionals while investing in and developing their distribution capabilities are all integral parts of their mission.

Center for Contemporary Textiles Montreal (CTCM)
5800 St-Denis Bureau 501 Montreal, (514) 933-3728

nearest Metro Station Rosemont, website: http://www.textiles-mtl.com/

About the MCCT

A non-profit organization dedicated to developing textile creation in Québec by providing top rate services in education, training, consulting, research, production, equipment rental, exhibition and sales.

Textile creation using the most advanced technology available in weaving, knitting, embroidery and computer-assisted design.

A staff composed of practising professionals who are experts in many different techniques and materials for textile production.A network of internationally leading artists and organizations.

Consulted by researchers, artists and students from around the world. Any news about textiles in Québec and in other parts of the world, the MCCT will know about it!

Concordia University
1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Québec, (514) 848-2424
nearest Metro Station Guy-Concordia, website: www.concordia.ca

Diagonal, performing arts centre and fibre Quebec
(514) 524-6645

Subway Laurier walk west toward St Laurent turn north at Rue de Gaspe

website: www.artdiagonale.org

Diagonal is a Artist run Centre and a member of RCAAQ http://www.rcaaq.org

*DIAGONALE 01. ISBN 978-2-9810570-0-6 Depot Legal_Bibliothque et Archives National du Quebec, 2008, Legal desposit Library and Archive Canada 2008 ,Publication editor : Stéphanie L’HEUREUX / Lise LÉTOURNEAU / Denyse ROY / Karine TURCOT / Joan DORÉ Author(s) : Marie-Ginette BOUCHARD/ Édith-Anne PAGEOT / Françoise BELU / Ingrid BACHMANN

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Musée du costume et du textile du Québec
349, rue Riverside, Saint-Lambert (Quebec) 450.923.6601
www.mctq.org

Metro Longueuil-Université de Sherbrooke, bus 6,
13 or 15, Highway 132, exit 6

The Musée du costume et du textile du Québec has an ethnological textile collection that represents the multicultural nature of Quebec society. Its aim is to assess the costume, textile and fibre and by focusing on the importance of artistic expression as a reflection of a society in perpetual evolution produce a more detailed account of distinct ethnic traditions and the influences of the broader culture.

Thus, the Museum collects, preserves, documents, exhibits and interprets objects and works of world textile heritage. It presents shares and disseminates the results of its research through exhibitions, educational programs, cultural activities and publications.